Europe’s rush to rearm to face off the threat from Russia means countries will have to buy weapons from the US as well as boosting their own arms industries, Lithuania’s defense minister told POLITICO, Report informs.
“At the same time, we need to support our national and European defense industries, while also keeping and nourishing transatlantic bonds, which means buying American weapons,” said Dovilė Šakalienė. “So we are going to balance.”
“It’s not really about the weapons manufacturers, it’s about the ability to defend ourselves. Political and national interests are going to be part of the equation, but the main element is going to be our security,” she added. “Those able to produce weapons that best answer our needs, and to produce them the fastest, are the most desirable on the market.”
Under NATO’s capability targets, which are currently being updated, Vilnius needs to be able to field a national division by 2030. It currently hosts a US battalion and is expecting a German brigade.
“We would be naive to think that Europe does not need the United States. We do,” Šakalienė said. “But at the same time, we also need Europe to grow stronger.”
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